ONLY ON 3: 12-foot alligator removed from Greenfield Lake

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) -- Green turtles and green algae are things you expect to see during a stroll along the shores of Greenfield Lake. Today, though, a 12-foot alligator estimated to be around 600 pounds gave visitors a sight they'll never forget.

Experts say it's not unusual for an alligator to be in the lake because it's so close to the Cape Fear river, but a gator of this size is out of the ordinary and is very dangerous. They say alligators around six to eight feet are common for this area, but not a 12-foot gator.

Visitors say the reptile was on land and was heading toward people.

"He put up a fight. He didn't put up a struggle. He put up a fight," Elbert Turner, who watched the alligator wrangled, said. "He was fighting seriously trying to get loose. I'm pretty sure when they were trying to pull him up onto the bank and he was stretched out on his back he had a blood line right along his neck, right here. The rope got him."

A wildlife removal service put the bull gator in a tube and took it to the district biologist.

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I was intrigued by this posted story, but became rather distracted by the stream of arguing that ensued. Anyway, I have been trying to locate some updated information about what happened to this twelve-foot alligator and was hoping that, after its examination by the district biologist, the gator was relocated to a safer home (for both human & reptile). Does anyone have any news about this? Thanks.

I can understand someone having a strong opinion about the whole 12 ft gator thing but to just comment on someones typing or grammar just seems a bit antagonistic. It is like some chain reaction when it happens; one person types something that goes against another persons grain and the next thing you know there are personal punches being thrown. Really people?! Who in the world is monitoring this? It is freedom of speech folks not the springer show. Have some dignity. Oh by the way I walk my dogs around the lake everyday and I do not want a showdown with a 12ft crocodile either. With that being said there is plenty of swampland around here for it to be relocated as well. Please reserve you "off color" comments for your private homes. Thanks.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig t o a rscheearch at Cmabri gde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotui t a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Were you readers here last year (I think it was last year, time flies) when we had a lot of rain and there were gators popping up in unlikely places? I recall one near that same area shown in a news photo, it looked like an apartment complex parking lot. the gator was between the cars and someone saw it eat a cat. that just isn't acceptable...cat, little kid, your foot...get a grip. and I resent that remark about hippies. i was a hippy way back when and that doesn't have anything to do with any of this. I think the gators have always been in the lake, just like they are in every body of water that suits them that they can reach. when they aren't wary of people any more, yes they need to go. those who take care of those things will decide where to put them. If you have an issue with that you need to check into it.

Every single one of you has misspelled words and terrible grammar, so I guess the schools around the lake were as bad as all the others in the county.

REALLY? You guys are so bothered by the removal of a 12 ft alligator? One that would easily kill a child near the waters edge? Or a dog going after a ball?

Get real hippies and uneducated, grammatically retarded dropouts.

Its a danger to society...one that could end up in your backyard one night when you go to put something in your trash can. How would you like that? A 900 lb animal doing a death roll with your leg in its mouth.

Face it...humans are more important than an alligator, owls, snakes, plants, frogs, deer etc etc etc. Thats just how it is. Anyone that thinks differently needs to move out with the animals and speak from there...but that wont happen will it? Youre too accustomed to your AC, cable, internet connection and every other luxury that we as HUMANS have...and you wouldnt last 15 mins LIVING in the outdoors. So put the bong down, take off the tye dyes and join the rest of us in the real world where humans live and make the decisions here on earth.

humans are not the only things that are important. you dumb witted people. you shouldn't be talkin about some having bad grammer, bad school, uneducated,and hippies. your tha one would weren't taught right because unlike some people some people like animals. without animals this world would be dull and boring like you people out there.
you think your all that but your the one that can't live without techonolgy. and to prove you wrong someone can live out door for more than 15 min.
THIS IS TO ALL U DUMB WITTED, UNCOUTH PEOPLE.
ANIMALS ARE IMPORTANT. THE HAVE LIVES, FEELINGS, AND OTHER TRAITS LIKE HUMANS. TO ANIMALS THEY PROBABLY THINK THAT YOU ARE WORTHLESS DEBRIS.

You should have read your post before you made an idiot of yourself. Where did you go to school. Contractions were not taught there obviously. Sentences should never begin with the word or. Maybe you should be more concerned with your ignorance than alligators.

If you were so intelligent you would know that contractions have an apostrophe in them. For example, its should be it's. Wouldnt should be wouldn't. Wont should be won't. Just wanted to point that out. Where did you go to school?

It's interesting that a poster with eleven missing punctuation marks, a reading comprehension error (600 lbs., not 900) and a spelling mistake (it's "tie dyes") would lecture everyone else on their inferior skills. But more importantly, I'm not certain that it is at all self-evident that "humans are more important than an alligator, owls, snakes, plants, frogs, deer etc." We're more successful as predators, to be sure, and more intelligent, but more important? By what standard? I like AC and the internet as well as the next guy, without a doubt, and I understand that precautions need to be made when dealing with large predators that, often due to human foolishness, lose their fear of humans. But I don't couch the need for safety and security in any sort of odd philosophical language about a great chain of being, and you really ought not to, either. If we apply this standard whereby the strong are more important than the weak within the human community and not just between humans and other animal species, things get ugly in a hurry.

Really? That's a strong statement for some one that has errors in their own post. Next time re-read your post before posting regarding other's use of grammer. Now you are the pot calling the kettle black!

I could care less that you choose to judge me however you don't know me.
I certainly am not a hippie and I am educated, (read-not a drop out you useless non-contibuting member of society.)

I know that this animal had to be removed from the lake for the safety of all the people that visit the park. Its sad that this animal will likely be "put down" by the district biologist simply due to being an apex predator and its impressive size. What a beautiful creature. Its sad that we as humans have appointed ourselves as wildlife managers and make decisions as to where a certain species may live even withing the animals own natural range.

If idiot rednecks would QUIT FEEDING THEM ALL THE TIME! THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN! IT IS OBVIOUSLY ALWAYS GOING ON!!! BUT WHO IN THIS TOWN CARES ABOUT IT? who?
These same losers poor chemicals in that lake, they feed that gator rotten fried chicken and breads, and then a lil dog is walked and taken away like food on a string...thanks to your stupid rednecks living by the lake! YES, they even post pics of them feeding this gator on their public profiles. IDIOTS live near there! IT IS NO WONDER! POOR GATOR! IT deserves better, it is HIS home, not the home of those idiots that go to the end of Yaupon exit and feed him junk!!! Gators do not need human food!!!

How do you know it is the people who live around the lake who are feeding the alligators ? Last time I checked it was a public park. Do you really think those of us who live around the lake really want to encourage the alligators to approach people ? Furthermore a gator that size should be removed not only for peoples safety but for the gators safety as well, so why don't you just keep your IDIOTIC comments to yourself!!! IDIOT!!

I have lived around wilmington and green feld lake area all my life. I went to Lake Side Alternative School and also attended a few plays at the lake side theater. While i went to school there was a 13 footer that lived in the lake for years. He was moved cause he got used being fead by people. But home owners win and not the animals, that call the lake home.